: Primate Functional Morphology and Evolution . Russell H. Tuttle.

Functional Morphology and the Evolution of Cats

Primate Evolution

The Primates are the order of mammals that includes ourselves along with other well known creatures such as chimpanzees, baboons and lemurs. The non-human members of the orders show many similarities to us in areas of social behaviour, language, tool-use and anatomy; and study of these animals gives us important insights into the origins of these features in ourselves. This lecture will briefly...

Morphology and behaviour: functional links in development and evolution.

Development and evolution of animal behaviour and morphology are frequently addressed independently, as reflected in the dichotomy of disciplines dedicated to their study distinguishing object of study (morphology versus behaviour) and perspective (ultimate versus proximate). Although traits are known to develop and evolve semi-independently, they are matched together in development and evoluti...

Functional morphology and evolution of aspiration breathing in tetrapods.

In the evolution of aspiration breathing, the responsibility for lung ventilation gradually shifted from the hyobranchial to the axial musculoskeletal system, with axial muscles taking over exhalation first, at the base of Tetrapoda, and then inhalation as well at the base of Amniota. This shift from hyobranchial to axial breathing freed the tongue and head to adapt to more diverse feeding styl...

Endocranial morphology of Palaeocene Plesiadapis tricuspidens and evolution of the early primate brain.

Expansion of the brain is a key feature of primate evolution. The fossil record, although incomplete, allows a partial reconstruction of changes in primate brain size and morphology through time. Palaeogene plesiadapoids, closest relatives of Euprimates (or crown-group primates), are crucial for understanding early evolution of the primate brain. However, brain morphology of this group remains ...